Simon Harris pledges to be ‘mature’ taoiseach as he seeks to renew his party

Simon Harris has pledged to be a “mature” leader of the three-party government while also helping his party “reconnect” with its core values.

The newly appointed Fine Gael leader is to outline some of his priorities at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis being held in Galway city this weekend.

He admitted his party has “a real job” to “renew” its focus on a number of issues, and referenced the “pressure points” facing farmers and small businesses.

He also pledged to bring “finality” to the RTE saga, said there was “merit” to considering a cap on pay of department secretaries-general, and took aim at Sinn Fein on housing.

During a key Ard Fheis speech on Saturday evening, he said he would be appealing to three different cohorts: Fine Gael voters, those who used to vote for the party but had stopped and the people “who would never in a month of Sundays vote for Fine Gael, and that’s alright too”.

“I do think there’s a real job for this party to reconnect and renew our focus on a number of issues. And I do think the farming community for example, are really hurting at the moment,” he said on Friday, flanked by Fine Gael ministers.

Addressing the 11 Fine Gael TDs who have said they will not seek re-election, he said that he “doesn’t get this” adding that “politics can be gruelling on people”.

Addressing the housing crisis, he hit out at the main opposition party Sinn Fein, criticising their plans to abolish the Help-to-Buy grant on the basis that it could contribute to house price increases.

“If talking about housing were to fix it, we’d have an oversupply of housing in this country,” Mr Harris said.

“I’d love (Sinn Fein housing spokesperson) Eoin O Broin and (Sinn Fein leader) Mary Lou McDonald to sit down in the kitchen of one of those newly built houses and look that young couple in the face and tell them why they don’t believe that that couple wasn’t entitled to their own money back,” he said of the grant.

“I don’t fear Sinn Fein, I don’t fear debating them, I’m looking forward to it, and I welcome their new-found interest in me.”

A vote will be held in the Dail on April 9 to appoint Mr Harris as Taoiseach, which he is expected to win.

The reshuffle of Fine Gael ministers is expected to take place immediately afterwards.

Enterprise Minister Simon Coveney said he is standing down from Cabinet, and on Friday Social Protection Minister Heather Humphreys was appointed the party’s new deputy leader, replacing Mr Coveney’s party role.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said that she would like to keep her current portfolio.

Speaking in Galway on Friday, Mr Harris refused to say whether Ms McEntee will stay in Cabinet.

He said: “We have an extraordinarily talented team of ministers, and ministers of state and people who would like to be ministers of state and ministers, and over the coming days I’ll be putting together the very best, and my colleague and friend Minister McEntee is a very important part of the Fine Gael party.”

He added: “I believe in trying to bring diversity of viewpoints into Cabinet. Lots of people have different talents, different strengths. I think we are at our best as a party when we try to harness all of those differences.

“You just never know what Irish politics can bring. There will be people who are rightly delighted next week and there’ll be people who feel a sense of personal disappointment.”

He also said the Ard Fheis would be an opportunity for party members to put forward policy ideas and for Fine Gael to showcase its candidates for the upcoming local and European Parliament elections on June 7.

“The most important thing for Fine Gael to turn things around is that sense of self belief and energy,” he said.

“This is a party that is fighting fit. This is a party that has incredible candidates in every community in the country.

“What this Ard Fheis is about is the party lifting its head and believing in itself because this is a party that has a major role to play.”

Despite the upheaval within his party, he has pledged to bring stability to the coalition government with Fianna Fail and the Green Party.

“Under my leadership, you won’t be turning on the telly to see the leader of Fine Gael about to announce an election.

“I’m very clear in relation to mature, responsible leadership and that means that this government intends to go to full term,” he said.

“The people who want an election – we’ll absolutely have an election around next March.”

As Galway has a large Gaeltacht, or an Irish language-speaking region, Mr Harris was asked about his fluency and admitted that he doesn’t have much Irish.

But he said he had met with the Irish group Conradh na Gaeilge on Friday and intends to take Irish language classes.

Speaking out on a canvas in Salthill in Galway on Friday evening with local councillor Clodagh Higgins and MEP Maria Walsh, Mr Harris appealed to small businesses: “We have your back”.

“It’s been a surreal couple of weeks, it’s beginning to sink in now. I know the enormity of the challenge we have to face,” he said.

“Yes, multinational jobs are so important and we’re so proud of them, but we want to be on the side of small businesses and on the side of communities,” he said, which was met with applause.